Love's Fool
by Kagaya Chou
Summary: It began as a challenge... Yunsung centric, KilikMina. maybe
1. two is good

Title: Love's Fool  
  
Author: Kagaya Chou  
  
Archive: Yes on the Soul Calibur Slash ML's website. Ask otherwise.  
  
Rating: G  
  
Pairing(s): Yunsung centric, Kilik/Mina  
  
Warnings: No  
  
Comments: February 10, 2004 - It doesn't fit all the requirements for the Valentine's Day challenge, but it just wrote itself, so I'll let it stand as is.  
  
- - -  
  
They were beautiful, two butterflies sharing one soul. The warmth in his smile and the fire in her eyes kept them untouched by winter's cold. They danced together with practiced ease, two halves of a whole in poetic symmetry.  
  
One end of his staff smoothly skimmed fresh snow off grass, drawing each blade into gentle arcs. Seung Mina shadowed Kilik, leaving brief echoes of shimmering sunlight on silver green. She was learning from him the sacred arts of her family, thought to be lost long before their time. However similar they looked and acted, the two were not related by blood, but by marriage.  
  
- - -  
  
"Marriage?" Yunsung laughed when he heard Mina was finally settling down. "What poor fool would want you for a wife?" He jested. Mina had picked on him far too much in the past. That she was a desirable woman seemed lost upon the young man.  
  
"A good looking fool, who's got taste," Mina proudly replied.  
  
When he saw the groom, his heart tripped over a few beats and tumbled until it crumpled, unnoticed, at Kilik's feet.  
  
"I'm still better looking than you," Yunsung replied.  
  
The older man just humbly nodded, "Yes, you are."  
  
Yunsung hated the fact that Kilik indulged him. They weren't close.  
  
- - -  
  
As they strode home, hand in hand, Kilik remarked. "He's really something."  
  
"Who?" Mina asked.  
  
He gave her a sheepish look. "Yunsung."  
  
"Oh? What about that kid?"  
  
"He's not a kid," Kilik automatically responded. "I just... can't explain it. Its like he's got it in for me."  
  
Mina laughed, linking arms with the clueless man she loved. "Of course he does. You're his competition--not for me," she quickly clarified. "You're new, you're hot," Mina grinned as Kilik blushed, "and the elders love you."  
  
She paused again at Kilik's guilty look.  
  
"Yunsung's always been an attention seeker. It's not about you, Kilik."  
  
- - -  
  
It wasn't fair how Kilik walked in, and stole everything he cared about: Master Seung's approval, his childhood hero Hwang's respect. Even Mina didn't tease him as much as before, but still, Yunsung couldn't help but longingly stare. That sword called White Storm had been with him during his wilder days. Mina leant the precious thing to Yunsung before, but cruelly, she reclaimed it all too soon. It has become a part of him, his weapon, his protection, and now the Seung family's heirloom belonged to Kilik, who had everything to do with all Yunsung's problems.  
  
Kilik caught him staring and spoke up. "I'm sorry, Yunsung."  
  
"You better take care of that," the young man pouted. "It's really something."  
  
"It is," Kilik nodded, "but I think you can put it to better use than I ever can."  
  
"Yeah," Yunsung agreed, then shook his head vehemently. "Still yours."  
  
"I know..."  
  
"No!" He suddenly snapped, "You don't!"  
  
- - -  
  
"Mina, he hates me."  
  
She sighed, "Yunsung's being childish." This time, Kilik didn't respond.  
  
She continued. "You have something he wants, and he can't have it. It's as  
  
simple as that. As soon as you give in--don't give in, Kilik, 'cause I know  
  
him--he'll just take it for granted and move on when there's no challenge.  
  
"You're saying Yunsung just wants a goal to go after."  
  
"To put it nicely," she nodded.  
  
"What happens when he doesn't get what he wants?"  
  
"... Somebody gets hurt?"  
  
- - -  
  
The young man studied the circular patterns on the snow, reconstructing the couple's dance on his own. He moved like a dragonfly rippling across still water, his shadow partner his reflection, unbidden thoughts unspoken beneath the callous moon. Yunsung wanted to laugh at himself, to cry out. He didn't know what he wanted yet. He felt feverish, but inside he was cold. 


	2. he's harmless

Title: Love's Fool (2/?)  
  
Author: Kagaya Chou  
  
Archive: Yes on the Soul Calibur Slash ML's website. Ask otherwise.  
  
Rating: G  
  
Pairing(s): Yunsung centric, Kilik/Mina  
  
Warnings: No  
  
Comments: May 1, 2004 - Can't force out what doesn't want to be written, eh? This muse just comes slow and in small doses.  
  
- - -  
  
He kissed her softly on the forehead and gently stroked her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered as she woke from a dreamless sleep.  
  
"Kilik?" Mina reached out with one hand, rubbing her eyes with the other. Her husband stilled her hands in his and smiling shushed her. He was only going out for morning training, although it was one of his many recent sessions without her there. After all, they have been happily married for two years now, and soon they would be father and mother.  
  
- - -  
  
Yunsung clutched his pillow close until he was awake enough to know what it was: not what he wanted. He threw it across the room and heard a loud clunk. It was that sword Mina gave him, the one with "for little kids" engraved oh-so inconspicuously on the fancy gilded handle. Besides the fact it was a gift, he didn't know why he kept it around. It only reminded him Mina didn't see him as anything more than a brat.  
  
Of course, what does Mina know? Not like her opinion mattered to him. No sir. Just because she says she still remembers when he was in nappies... Ugh.  
  
He was twenty now, not a kid! He was a handsome, virile, popular young man. In fact, he was the best looking available male on the dojo and choosing to remain single instead of settling down with one of his fan girls did not mean that there was something wrong with him. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to the others if he chose one... and they were fan girls. They didn't really know him, and if they tried to, it was only so they could boast about it. He wasn't interested in that sorta relationship.  
  
Yunsung got out of the bed and grabbed his pillow, picking up the child's sword and setting it back on its stand. Too early to be up, he decided, but it was too late to crawl back into bed, because he wouldn't be able to wake up in time again. Looking at the twisted sheets, he frowned as he remembered his dream.  
  
- - -  
  
Long sable hair hung loose from its tie, soft wisps of it framing warm brown eyes. Sun kissed skin gleamed with sweat and morning dew. White Storm seemed to burn the sky in Kilik's hands, like it was cleaving the clouds with smooth, sweeping strokes.  
  
But lately, Mina wasn't the one teaching Kilik all the right moves.  
  
- - -  
  
"Mine. It's mine." Yunsung squeezed his eyes shut. "He's..." Letting his hand fall from the sword Mina gave him to Blue Thunder, the one left by Hwang, Yunsung sighed and looked down, "...not mine."  
  
Maybe no one else knew, but the sword chose the wielder. If Soul Edge called out to its own, White Storm whispered for Yunsung. "But Kilik...  
  
"Kilik is probably up already." The boy said a prayer before leaving his room.  
  
- - -  
  
Kilik stood by the well outside the dojo, wet hair left to dry over his shoulder. Ignoring the water dripping over his chest and down the side of his pants, he studied the blade he held in one hand, holding a soft cloth in another. Bringing his lips close, he breathed lightly against the reflective metal. He rubbed the blade with careful firmness, intent on achieving a mirror-like polish, mindful of Yunsung's feelings about keeping White Storm in perfect condition.  
  
Although he did not pay much attention to White Storm as often as he would like, Kilik honored it for all that it meant to him when he took it in his hands: pride of the Seung family; Mina, beloved, and...  
  
"Yunsung." When Kilik saw the image on the blade, his eyes lit up and he turned to face the real person. "Good morning." He bowed with a cautious smile.  
  
"Mornin'," The younger man nodded sheepishly, giving a half-hearted reply. "Didn't mean to keep you waiting."  
  
Kilik shook his head. "Some things are worth waiting for."  
  
Yunsung simply smiled. "Ready to spar?"  
  
- - -  
  
In a dream, she reached out, but he wasn't there to hold her hand. When she awoke, she reminded herself that dreams don't come true. Often. Kilik was just training with Yunsung. It was good they were finally getting along. Maybe she'd stop calling Yunsung the brat when the baby's finally born. 


	3. morning child

Title: Love's Fool 3/?  
  
Author: Kagaya Chou  
  
Archive: Yes on the Soul Calibur Slash ML's website. Ask otherwise.  
  
Rating: PC-13  
  
Pairing(s): Yunsung centric, Kilik/Mina  
  
Warnings: No  
  
Comments: July 13, 2004 - I'm alive! And slowly, slowly working through... many things on my to-do list. ...Wow, this is long in comparison to the previous chapters o.O;  
  
- - -  
  
Mornings were difficult. It was harder for Mina to get up and Kilik did his best for the sake of his wife and unborn child. She hated this feeling of helplessness, of needing his aid just to climb out of bed. He loved her too much to stand by each day and watch as she struggled slowly to stand by herself.  
  
"I can do this," she hissed through clenched teeth as he drew near.  
  
"Mina, relax. I'll pull you up."  
  
"I don't need you," she seethed, shaking her head. "Lemme alone."  
  
"But you..." She glared and he paused, not taking his eyes off her as he took a half step back. "... Fine."  
  
When her weight dragged her down and her knees gave beneath her, he caught her with strong arms, quickly and carefully, because glass cut, but could easily break.  
  
Sometimes, silence seemed shattering.  
  
"A pregnant woman is not an invalid," Mina huffed.  
  
Refusing to argue, Kilik simply nodded, only letting go when he was sure she could stand on her own.  
  
She wanted to be strong for them. He wanted her safe. Her words, his actions: it didn't matter what the other wanted.  
  
- - -  
  
Yunsung seriously wanted to spar. It was just that Kilik couldn't seem to stay upright long enough. With Blue Thunder slung over his shoulder and one hand on his hip, the young man stared down at his older companion, who lay prone on the unyielding stone. Again.  
  
"The heck is wrong with you, Kilik? I'm hardly breaking a sweat here."  
  
Flushed with adrenaline and embarrassment, Kilik gaze up with a guilty frown. "Sorry," he haltingly began, "but I was thinking-"  
  
"Yeah, you're -always- thinking - too much, in my opinion. But what the heck?" Kilik took things too seriously. Brows creased and trying to seem unconcerned, Yunsung crouched beside him. "I know I'm good to look at and all, but the jealousy's never distracted you this much before," he smirked.  
  
At first, Kilik blinked, expression blank, but when he spoke he couldn't bite back the humor in his voice, or hide the amused grin that Yunsung always seemed to cause. "I'm not jealous."  
  
Ignoring an odd, fluttering twinge of disappointment, the younger man stood. "Then what up?" Yunsung asked, offering his hand to Kilik. "Whacha thinkin'?"  
  
"Nothing," was the automatic response. Standing up with Yunsung's help, Kilik smiled to soften his words. "Nothing that you need to be worrying about."  
  
"Aw, come on... I can be a good listener," Yunsung upped the boyish charm with a winning grin. Maybe if he helped Kilik out of his funk, the man would stop brooding and start fighting.  
  
There was an awkward pause. He opened his mouth again, but a soft sigh from Kilik cut him off.  
  
"I don't doubt you, Yunsung. It's just... something Mina and I need to handle on our own." The older man hesitated, sheepishly adding, "You -are- helping."  
  
Empathy and confusion warred with a faint stirring of hope. "I am?" Yunsung gaped. "How?"  
  
Kilik looked down at a momentary loss for words. His eyes widened slightly and he gasped in silent surprise at their interlinked hands.  
  
"You're here." He lifted his hand away, sweeping loose strands of his hair from his blushing face. "You've been like ah... brother to me - and Mina."  
  
Quietly, something broke.  
  
"All right," Yunsung nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Um, thanks... Still feel up for sparing?"  
  
Kilik nodded in return, grateful for the change of topic.  
  
Smiling hurt.  
  
- - -  
  
Kilik saw him as a brother? Yunsung growled to himself, frowning. He wanted to laugh. He didn't like Kilik. He didn't need another 'brother'. He didn't want...  
  
Dark, intense eyes focused on him. Only him.  
  
Kilik moved fluidly now, as though warm up was finally over, mimicking the Korean's fighting stance with added discipline. Muscles tensed and relaxed as they exchanged blows, blades singing and sun-kissed skin shining with sweat. Kilik was adapting, finally getting into the rhythm of their dance.  
  
It was Yunsung's turn to be distracted.  
  
- - -  
  
Studying two of the most important men in her life limping down the corridor together, Mina couldn't help but wonder what exactly happened.  
  
"So who got their ass handed to them?" she asked.  
  
"Kilik." Yunsung grinned. Despite the open-air condition of his clothes, he was triumphant, and his hair was a mess to begin with, while Kilik's simple ponytail hung limp and loose over one shoulder.  
  
The older man looked at him with a wry grin, then turned to his wife. "I gave back what I got." Was she happy that they were getting along?  
  
She shook her head, snickering, then gasped suddenly.  
  
Kilik immediately reached for her. "Mina?"  
  
The woman beamed, eyes warming as she told them. "She kicked me!"  
  
Yunsung didn't get it. "She?"  
  
Mina was all too happy to explain, "My baby. She'll be my little girl, I know it - Kilik!" She grabbed his outstretched hand and laid it on her tummy, "Feel that? Do you feel her?"  
  
Kilik's face flushed with awe. "Yes, Mina..." He cupped her cheek and kissed her soundly.  
  
Yunsung looked the other direction. "I'm... I'm gonna get cleaned up now," he quietly excused himself.  
  
They didn't seem to notice.  
  
- - -  
  
They didn't seem to be having problems whatsoever, those two. What was Kilik worrying about anyway? He was doing everything right with Mina, Yunsung envied it. Not that he wanted Mina of course, or to BE Mina. Nuh uh!  
  
There was nothing wrong with him after all.  
  
Yunsung hissed as he sank into the hot water, resting his head back against the wooden tub. The heat was delicious, and it reminded him - as if conspiring with his stomach - that he was empty. Of food, of course.  
  
He and Kilik missed breakfast in favor of a good fight, or two - or three. Neither was really counting. He had been so caught up in Kilik's company.  
  
The feeling was comparable to... taking a bath with an empty stomach.  
  
No, really! He was alive, surrounded by an all encompassing warmth, floating, and feeling safe... like he didn't want to leave. Yunsung sorta, heavens forbid, enjoyed having Kilik around, almost as much as he liked this bath. More or less. And then there's this hunger, this need for sustenance that will give him the strength to survive - when he gets out, that is.  
  
He knew he'd have to get out of the water eventually, or he'd end up looking like a prune. Or go bloated... like Mina.  
  
Ew, what did that fool Kilik see in the old hag anyway?  
  
A small voice in Yunsung's head whispered that Kilik and Mina were probably about the same age, which would make Kilik an old man too. Roughly five or six years his senior. How was he to know?  
  
Yunsung shook his head and decided not to dwell on... whatever he was thinking.  
  
Was Kilik's brooding contagious? The boy withered at the thought, then ducked under the surface where the heat of the water colored his cheeks. What the heck was Kilik doing to him?  
  
He didn't hold his breath for any quick answers.  
  
- - -  
  
"You know what I want," Mina smiled serenely. "I just told you."  
  
Kilik looked like he was about to be chewed up and swallowed, very unpleasantly. "Pickles..." he repeated, "With strawberries?"  
  
The pretty mother-to-be nodded while her husband floundered in cold sweat.  
  
"Mina, love..." How to put it delicately? "Strawberries are out of season."  
  
The woman stared at him in silence. The man said nothing, simply looking back. She raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth.  
  
"I can bring you the pickles..." he offered.  
  
"With the strawberry jam?"  
  
Silence reigned once more as his brows creased. He considered the combination while Mina waited with dwindling patience. Kilik didn't suppose she could poison herself with fruits and vegetables, but...  
  
She pouted.  
  
"All right, I'll do that," Kilik nodded.  
  
Happily, Mina watched him make his exit, only the catch her beloved fool wince, then finish opening the door before rubbing his abdomen.  
  
"Kilik?"  
  
He turned to face her, smiling to ease her concern. "Yes, Mina?"  
  
Giving him a once mover, she grinned. "Yunsung kicks hard, huh?"  
  
"Oh," Kilik blushed, then laughed at himself. "Very and often, yes."  
  
He left the room with Mina giggling, glad that things were all right again. She was so lively, strong and bright. Sometimes, especially in early mornings, Kilik forgot that Mina had that unquenchable fire within her.  
  
Glass can break, but fire can mend it, change and cleanse it.  
  
Yunsung was right, Kilik mused. He thought too much. 


	4. unexpected arrivals

Title: Love's Fool 4/?

Author: Kagaya Chou

Archive: Yes on the Soul Calibur Slash ML's website. Ask otherwise.

Rating: PC-13

Pairing(s): Yunsung centric, Kilik/Mina

Warnings: Character history spoilers? Er... maybe.

Comments: Hi again. I thought about using a different language in this chapter, and did some research, but I didn't like it in the end so I decided pure English. Sorta. Didn't start with a different language. Wouldn't make sense to start now... Anyway, let's not waste the research Heh.

a MINI LESSON in KOREAN... Chinese and Japanese: "sun beh" is Korean for "senior; older generation" and "whu beh" is what you call your "juniors" etc. In Chinese, it would be translated as "qian bei" and "hou bei" respectively. As for Japanese, there is a slight difference. Unlike "sun beh" and "qian bei", which both translate to "front generation", "sem pai" means "precedence generation". Just a slight difference. However, "kou hai" is still "juniors", exactly the same as "who beh" and "hou bei". In the Japanese terms, "pai" and "hai" have the same kanji, and the only difference is with the pronunciation. Just a random useless thing.

* * *

"Maxi's alive, Kilik."

Mina looked up from the letter in her hands to see how her husband was coping with the news. For the longest time, any mention of his 'late' best friend would cause Kilik to close off, and now...

He gaped at her incredulously, completely still for a moment before looking at the innocuous piece of paper in her hands and back.

"How... is that possible, Mina?" He spoke quietly, both hopeful and doubtful. She wouldn't lie or joke about life and death, but what if this was, impossible as it may be, a case of mistaken identity? "I... I saw him die."

"Hwang saw him last week, alive and kicking," Mina replied. She reached for his hand and shoved the letter onto his open palm. "Just off the west coast while Hwang was on border patrol, Maxi got into a bit of the fight with the other guards 'cause they thought he might be a Japanese spy, but..." she paused, then shook her head at the absurdity of it all, "Hwang was there. He cleared things up."

Kilik blinked, bewildered. What with the attempted invasions over the years, he could understand why there was tension between the two nations. He did wonder whether it was good that Maxi was a pirate though.

Maxi... Alive.

"You know Hwang never tells us a thing 'less he's absolutely sure," Mina added with a reassuring smile.

Kilik nodded, smiling shyly before looking down. There was a moment of silence as he read.

When he gaze at his wife once more, his eyes were slightly watery. He opened his mouth and drew in a breath but couldn't seem to find words to express himself. Finally, he sighed letting out a murmured prayer as he briefly closed his eyes.

Mina couldn't tell if he spoke Mandarin, Tibetan or Sanskrit...

It wasn't the first time she was reminded that Kilik had been orphaned as an infant, and raised by monks in a remote mountain-top temple somewhere between borderlines. Lots of scrolls and sutras with topics ranging from religious beliefs to martial arts to cooking and cleaning. He knew he had a mixed heritage, and saw fit to get the education to support it while he had the chance.

He was a diamond in the rough, and she knew when she first saw him that she'd be damned if she wouldn't become his queen!

When Mina really thought about it, she knew that the main reason her father approved of him was because he mastered the sacred arts of the Seung family, which otherwise would have been lost to them. Kilik was dedicated, a man of virtue - Soul Edge's evil influence notwithstanding - and he and Mina were in love.

But he wasn't Korean, and although she had no qualms with the fact that nobody could really say what nationality he was, some others she knew were not quiet as agreeable.

Then there was the convenient, yet annoying fact that he was a hardworking overachiever with a god-damned picture-perfect memory. How else was he supposed to get all those languages and fighting styles and such down as easily as he made it seem?

However, there was also the matter of him being the sole survivor of the Ling-Sheng Su massacre, which he remembered participating in quite vividly... But besides Mina, her father and Hwang, Kilik never spoke of his past to anyone at the Seung dojo, and it was decided that some skeletons were better left undisturbed.

Ultimately, the people Mina cared about the most accepted Kilik, and it was all that really mattered...

As he reread the letter in his hands, Mina smiled fondly, recalling how much effort Kilik put in to learning Korean so that they could live in her home country.

Along with that warm feeling came a tinge of guilt. For one, Mina was more familiar with the Japanese language, and that was mostly because the Korean language used a similar grammar structure, not because she was actually interested. Sometimes she also found herself wondering if Kilik would try so hard for her if he had a home to return to after destroying Soul Edge. And then she felt bad for doubting him. He wasn't like that.

Kilik would not have committed murder if it wasn't because of that possessed blade, but if he hadn't gone on the journey to destroy that demon, Mina would never have met him in the first place. They were doing pretty well now. Who knows how Soul Edge has affected the rest of those who went after it?

Depressing thoughts. Mixed blessings. Mina rubbed her tummy as she studied the quiet man she loved.

- o - o - o -

Yunsung didn't mean to stare. It was just that this boy, Jaeyong, who was two years his junior, reminded him of someone he really should not have been staring at. It didn't help that the guy had the same dark eyes and long hair, and... at least he didn't have the say-no-to-shirts fashion sense or that cute v-shaped scar on his left cheek like that someone.

He was trying very hard not to think about that someone he couldn't seem to avoid, and the scar wasn't cute.

Nope, not listening. Not cute. Not thinking.

Jaeyong looked curiously at him again, and Yunsung shifted his eyes to the side as though he just happened to be brooding facing the other boy's direction. For the last week or so.

Screw that. Who was he trying to kid? He was infatuated with Kilik. There! He could admit it!

That it was wrong. It was abnormal. It was... so damn frustrating, and not because he was attracted to another guy either. No, not that. Yunsung was personally okay with that part.

Hwang was gay. Yunsung didn't know that when he idolized the man, but it didn't change much of his perceptions of him when he found out.

Before Mina brought Kilik into the picture -ah, the simple days- Master Seung tried to marry her off to Hwang because he was able to literally drag her home kicking and screaming when she first ran away from home. Hoping for the taming of the shrew, Yunsung supposed. Hwang and Mina were not too thrilled about it, but she threw a fit when he declined, and accused him of everything from thinking she wasn't good enough to questioning his sexual preferences.

Master Seung never heard that part of the argument, but Yunsung was sorta in the room when Hwang was busy convincing Mina why it wasn't a good idea to spread the word.

Afterwards, Yunsung asked himself: girls or guys?

Hell if he knew.

Well... there -was- this foreign girl he met later on.

Her name was... Talim. She was the one who told him Soul Edge was evil, and at the time, he hadn't really cared. It was still the fabled Sword of Salvation. Everyone who was anyone wanted it. Hwang was -ordered- to get it in fact. And all he knew was that Hwang failed, because someone apparently destroyed the sword - except that it came back later, which was when Yunsung decided to find it for himself. Not only would that prove he was better than Hwang, he'd also be able to save Korea from the Japanese invaders!

He wanted to possess the sword; she wanted to destroy it. Pity they had to fight. She was actually kinda cute, and she blushed adorably when he told her so.

But they duked it out anyway, until a huge gush of wind came and swept them off their feet. That was when she let him know she was the Last Priestess of the Wind God or some such, and that Soul Edge was lost again. Truce.

And then Hwang found him, and saw fit to personally escort him home, where he found out that Mina was getting married. To Kilik.

Quiet, mysterious, nice Kilik, who Yunsung really did not like, and he still couldn't understand -what- made him start liking that guy in the first place.

For god's sake, it wasn't his place! Mina's like a sister to him. Kilik's like a... no, he didn't, couldn't, wouldn't see Kilik as a brother for some reason. He didn't know who he was pissed off at for that.

Wouldn't life be so much easier if it was brother Kilik?

Uh... Whatever. He didn't know what Kilik was exactly, besides an infatuation that he had to get rid of. Okay, that came out wrong.

Yunsung turned and started pacing, feet restless. Kilik saw him as a friend, a brother even, although Yunsung had no idea HOW. The guy asked him to be his sparring partner, and it wasn't like he wanted to say no now either.

But seeing him day in day out was...

It hurt.

Kilik was married. Kilik was straight. Mina was pregnant, and she was... whatever. Yunsung wasn't one hundred percent sure he knew what he was yet. He was... this annoying little bratty brother the perfect, happy couple never had.

Well, he didn't know about Kilik's family, but Mina lost her mother and brother to sickness... So, after daddy died and mommy literally shoved their little toddler into Master Seung's arms, who'd ya think sorta replaced the Seung boy?

"Yunsung?"

He spun around on the spot automatically when he was called, coming face to face with brown hair and brown eyes and...

Crap. It was Jaeyong... Was Jaeyong blushing?

"Yeah?" Yunsung felt his cheeks burn up and realized that he was answering both their questions. "Hey," he grinned, hoping that it looked casual and unforced, because he was cool and calm. He wasn't panicky, no. Never... "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Jaeyong shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, despite a decidedly playful smile breaking through. "It's nice to see you here again."

"It is, isn't it?"

It was nice to have his brain not in sync with his mouth again.

Jaeyong nodded quite frankly, and paused. "I like you," he suddenly said.

Smile frozen, Yunsung's eyes went wide and then he opened is mouth.

"Me, too." He didn't just say that. How the hell was he supposed to salvage that? "I like myself, alot." He felt like kicking himself. Maybe that would knock some sense back in before he could dig a deeper grave. "In fact," a foot in his mouth every once in a while would really do him a huge favor, "it takes a lot of will power for me -not- to be fixated in front of the nearest reflective surface right now."

Jaeyong blinked then laughed out loud, a pleasant sound that reminded Yunsung of someone else, somewhere else, but close by.

What he wouldn't give for that someone to look at him with a sparkle in his warm brown eyes, and a heartfelt smile that said only you.

- o - o - o -

Kilik smiled when he saw his sparring partner, honest-to-god-happy to see him. "Yunsung," he gave a customary nod, because the boy once told him the bowing was too formal, got on his nerves. "Good morning." Kilik's tone was light, and he seemed to be in a particularly good mood.

Yunsung grinned and nodded in return. "Mornin'." Nothing out of the ordinary.

It was still a little embarrassing, having Kilik wait for him to wake up in the morning... but nice. And Kilik never complained, so Yunsung didn't see the point of saying anymore about it. Their arrangement was relatively comfortable, like a habit that neither seemed to want changed.

Because they knew their limits now, and were constantly pushing each other to surpass them, find the next.

Kilik drew out White Storm; Yunsung, Blue Thunder.

"Are you ready for this?"

"Any time you're ready!"

There wasn't much to say between them, and some words unspoken -were- better left unsaid.

They fell into their dance of swords like two strong rivers into melding seas, rushing and violent as they sparred with sweeping waves of silver white and hot blue lightning streaks.

A squall was brewing beneath the current: their actions decisive, their thoughts, for whatever reasons, still unsure. Both were eager for this, the sparing, and its promise of momentary release.

- o - o - o -

"I saw my best friend die 6 years ago."

For someone who rarely spoke - or a lot for that matter - Kilik held all of Yunsung's attention when he did. As they lay, grass for their pillows, staring at the clouds, words just tumbled out of Kilik's mouth, along with a torrent of emotions that his younger companion never thought he had.

"I was about your age... I'm not sure," he said with a brief, sidelong glance. "I just remember lizardmen, rubble... fighting this demon, this inferno, Soul Edge...

"And then I found Maxi," Kilik decided not to mention that the man was lying in a pool of his own blood. "He'd been fighting the lizardmen's leader, an enormous monster of a man with a gigantic axe-"

"Ouch," Yunsung wince. It did -not- sound like a pretty way to die.

Kilik just nodded. "Maxi... won. I was holding him as he drew his last breathes." Knowing that Maxi was alive now didn't make the memory of him dying any less painful. With a sardonic smile, Kilik forced himself to focus on something less unpleasant as he continued.

"I remember the cheeky way he smiled up at me then - that was the only time he ever smiled -up- at me," Kilik gave a small chuckled. "And the... laughter in his voice when he asked for a goodbye kiss-"

Kilik gasped softly, mentally berating himself for letting that slip. He really needed this talk, but Yunsung...

The wind chose that moment to pause before carrying Kilik's words away, and Yunsung felt a twinge of hope and envy twisting in his gut.

"So, did you kiss him?"

Kilik blinked at the boy with relief and surprise. "What?"

Yunsung turned on his side to face him, propping himself up on an elbow. "Did you, you know... grant the guy his last request?"

Silence was expected. Truthfully, he wasn't even sure he wanted to hear the answer after he asked, but trust Yunsung for getting his priorities straight. Better than focusing on the sad part, right?

"...Yes."

Kilik sighed the word softly, wetting his suddenly dry lips as he looked back at the sky with a faint flush. "But I recently found out that Maxi's did -not- die," he added quickly, smiling even as he tried to change the topic slightly. "Hwang met him by the coast one week ago. He sends word that Maxi will be visiting in... three or four days."

Yunsung wanted to ask HOW that was possible, but his head was still fixed on the possibility of Kilik... with a guy. Another guy. He internally twitched and let it out as incredulity. "You kissed him back to life?"

"What?! No!"

- o - o - o -

"My, my, aren't we calm?" he teased.

-He- being one of Yunsung's worst nightmare come to life, right after Mina's feather broom, rose-scented whipswords and disembodied fighter eyeballs, in that order. Yunsung could deal with the first three just fine. He'd long grown out of the see-broom-get-phantom-butt-aches phase, and Mina wasn't allowed to touch weaponry for the next 3 months. He was thankfully nowhere near the crazy old dominatrix he fought in Spain, who told him he was a feisty one and that she liked feisty.

All Soul Edge's fault. Even that gross eyeball thing.

From Yunsung's vantage point, on the roof looking down, Maxi was -not- gross. He was all suave, knowing smirks, and half-lidded eyes. Lazy eyes, Yunsung noted with a bitter taste in his mouth. Soft brown -bedroom- eyes that almost looked amber in a certain light. Maxi had weird eyebrows. Yunsung didn't know how to describe them. Just... freaky, he supposed. Exotic? no.

Although he could grudgingly admit that Maxi's clothes were: white is fine; sleeveless vest-like suit jacket; black and gold and -pink- trim; and a -purple- sash?

Courage, man! It takes courage to be able to carry -that- while exuding complete confidence.

And his hair was all slicked back. Real wet looking. How the hell did he do that without making it look oily and icky and ew?

Yunsung was really trying to hate Maxi, but his eyes refused to cooperate until Kilik came in, and suddenly things were simple.

They hugged.

Well, Kilik stared at first, went all silent, because obviously he still couldn't think of what to say. What do you say to your best friend, who you thought you'd never see again because he died -in your arms-?

Just thinking about it rubbed Yunsung the wrong way.

And Maxi? He simply smirked.

"My, my, aren't we calm?" Maxi purred. Yes, purred. Nice and low and spin-tingly. And he spread his arms oh-so invitingly with what had to be a come hither look, and a, "Miss me much?" Kilik walked straight over and...

They hugged.

"Much too much," Kilik whispered as though he'd cry if he tried to speak louder. "I thought you were dead for the last 6 years."

If it was up to Yunsung, he'd beat the guy for letting Kilik angst over him for all this time and kick him out the door, case closed.

Kilik obviously had other concerns. "How did you survive? You were... You stopped breathing... And now... Maxi, this is... this is a miracle."

It was a wonder Yunsung got all that was said when Kilik's words were muffled against Maxi's chest. Maxi's bared, near-sculpted chest.

Not that Yunsung complained about Kilik when he had much the same...

Naaargh! No fair!

And how Maxi made Yunsung's blood boil when he flippantly replied, "No miracle, kid. Just a whole lota luck, and... heh," He moved back a bit to tilted Kilik's chin up. "Let's just say yours is the kiss of life, hm?"

- o - o - o -

"Gawddamn. Perverted. Japanese. Invader scum."

Yunsung was muttering to himself as he chopped the firewood into splintering submission. He was angry. He was upset. He was beyond jealous. And he knew it was all completely stupid, because he didn't have a chance with Kilik in the first place. Did he?

And realistically, neither did Maxi.

Sure, Kilik seemed to like them both. As friends. As close as family. But he loved Mina; he said as much. Kilik would never hurt her. He'd be in so much trouble if he did, honestly. If he hurt her, Yunsung would probably be forced to kill him, regardless of how much he liked him, and that was never going to happen because Kilik sure as hell was -not- going to ever leave her for anybody.

Then, while Mina was present, Maxi had the gall to suggest a threesome.

Why didn't Kilik or Mina seem surprised? What were they before? All buddy-buddy friends with benefits?

At least Kilik seemed to think it as a joke. But Mina took the joke and really ran with it. Yunsung never saw Kilik blush for so hard and for so long before.

Boy was he glad he was only watching those three, and not in the room - not a target.

It better be just a joke, because if it wasn't... he wanted in!

Preferably without Mina, 'cause it'd feel semi-incestuous, and he didn't like Maxi. At all.

He should have asked earlier if Kilik ever kissed Maxi more than that one time. What if they... had a good morning kiss... or a good afternoon kiss before then? What if they'd done more than kissing? Yunsung growled.

The firewood wasn't looking right. He settled for toothpicks.

He was just so...

He wanted to know what it felt like, kissing Kilik's lips... Just once. Would it be all soft? Wet? Firm? Life-giving electric?

Yunsung gathered what he could of the wood and dejectedly cleaned up, somewhere between blushing with anger and embarrassment. He didn't need those thoughts. They were completely counter-productive - not that he was the most productive kid in the world, but he was smart enough to know pinning wasn't doing him any good.

So what? He wanted to.

Not really.

What the hell. Not like he was even paying attention to himself. Or anything else for that matter. That was why he crashed into someone on the way back to his room in the evening.

"Oof!"

"Ow!"

Who the hell! Standing right outside his door when he needed to get in... Kilik?

Awkward silence.

"Jaeyong! Hey..."

"Hey," the younger boy nervously sighed. "You busy tonight?"

Naw....


End file.
